Roland Barthes "Rhetoric Of The Image" introduces the reader to the world of semiotic image analysis. While reading the essay several quotes I felt related very strongly to this Sopranos poster http://www.zoom-in.com/media/graphics/blog/content/soprano_poster_season6B.jpg.

1) "Setting aside the linguistic message, there remains the pure image (even if the labels participate anecdotally). This image immediately yields a series of discontinuous signs."

The Sopranos poster has large text reading "Made In America", this text in many ways is a direct repetition of the signs that the photo portrays. The most obvious symbol is the statue of liberty, this is probably one of the most American symbol in the world. Tony is also portrayed over the choppy, gray water surrounding the statue of liberty, symbolizing conflict and struggle. Overall, functioning as an add for the sopranos, the text could be completely stripped from the image and the user would still understand that Tony is probably in for some hard times as an Itallian in America that will be played out in the show.

2)"We have seen that, in the image proper, the distinction between the literal message and the symbolic image is operational: we never- at least never in advertising- encounter a literal image in it's pure state"

While this sopranos poster even on a symbolic level seems pretter self explanatory, it is certainly has more than a literal meaning. There are many symbols within this immage that introduce further meaning. One such symbol is the light eminating from behind Tonys upset face. Eminating light is a symbol of god. While the ad doesn't try to portray Tony as god, it frames him as the main character who has right on his side and is a leader who the viewer is interested in.

3)"Another difficulty attatched to the analysis of connotation is that no particulary analytic language coorisponds to the particularity of it's signifides"

This quote i feel is extremely relevant when it comes to lookin at all images. While we can pull out symbols one by one and analyze them, there are certain connotative meanings which we can't. The aura an immage gives often can't be described in analytic language. Oftentimes very small symbols makes the viewer draw associations or feel feelings that they can'e explain. For example the birds in the immage may bring up feeling many people had concerning experiences they've had with birds changing the overall aura of the Sopranos as.